Escapade
by lolapoppies
Summary: After the guild war between Fairy Tail and Tartarus, many things have been gained, learned and lost. Fairy Tail is no longer present but immediate comeback is needed for the grave danger they are about to face. Someone much more evil is coming and everything might not be enough to stop the danger coming Fairy Tail's way. Nalu, Jerza, Gruvia, Lories, and other pairings. :)
1. Aftermath

**Chapter 1**

Lucy walked on the riverside gloomily. It has been 7 months when she broke Aquarius' Key and when Master Makarov disbanded the guild. It felt as if her life was back to where it started. She had no one again. She sighed as Plue purred in her arms, trying to comfort his master.

She opened the door to her apartment and in it were boxes containing all her stuff. She had to move to Crocus now because of her thriving job as a journalist for Sorcerer Weekly. She sighed once again. This apartment of hers was really special. Most of the fun moments with her friends happened here. Especially when Natsu and Happy barged in her apartment without her consent.

 _Natsu…_

Tears started to form when Lucy thought of the pink-haired boy together with his flying blue cat.

 _Why did he need to run off like that? Why did he have to blame himself for everything that happened with Tartarus? He's such an idiot._

Lucy shook her head and wiped away her tears. She should not think if that kind of things. Lucy knew very well that the only reason why Natsu left is because he wants to get stronger so that Fairy Tail won't get hurt any more.

 _I wonder how Natsu would react if he knew that the guild is gone now.._

Lucy sat in front of her desk. Her story was far from being complete because she knew that her adventures with Fairy Tail weren't over yet. Next to her papers was a silver and gold box. It has everything she treasured. Lucy's letters to her mother and the broken key of Aquarius. Tears started to from again. She couldn't believe that two of her mother figures were gone.

 _Why is that people who I really love keeps disappearing? What have I done wrong to deserve this?_

Lucy's tears kept flowing. All of her friends are somewhere far away and she had lost people whom she truly loved and cared for.

A shower of golden light appeared behind Lucy. Lucy, sensing another presence, looked back. At the back was an orange-haired man in a suit and said, "You okay there Lucy?" Lucy stood up and immediately tackled the Lion Spirit in a hug. "Loke.." she whispered. Loke returned the hugged, running circles with his thumb on Lucy's back and his chin resting on top of her head.

The Celestial spirit wasn't surprised by the sudden show of affection. Well, it wasn't affection; it was more like a cry for help. Loke has been sensing sadness emitting from his Master since the day she broke Aquarius' key.

"It's okay, Lucy. You could cry all you want. Just get it out of your system." Loke said, on the first time she visited Lucy after the guild was disbanded. Lucy cried for hours and it was torture for Loke to see Lucy like that.

"Wanna talk about it?" Loke asked. Lucy shook her head. Loke sighed. It was getting harder and harder for Loke to talk to Lucy nowadays. Before was worse. Lucy would cry herself to sleep and cry again when she wakes up. Most of the time, Loke would stay up all night to wake up Lucy from her nightmares. But while months passed by, her crying lessened. But her smile faded along with it and was replaced by a trademark of sadness.

"Loke?" Lucy asked, still hugging his friend. "Yes, Lucy?" Lucy looked at him and gave him a weak smile. "Thank you." Loke smiled back. "I'm always here for you, Lucy." Lucy buried her head back on Loke's chest with a smile. "I'm glad to have you by my side."

Loke can't help but broaden his smile. "The feeling is mutual, Lucy

* * *

"Natsu! Look I've got some fish!" The flying blue cat said, dragging two fishes by his hand. "That's great happy." The pink-haired dragon slayer said. "What's wrong, Natsu?" Happy asked, noticing the sadness emitting from his partner's voice. "I..It's just..Never mind." Natsu said, shaking his head. His hair was much longer that it looked like a lion's mane from afar. "It's okay Natsu. You can tell me, I'm your partner after all." The blue cat said, munching on his fish.

Natsu sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I feel as if something's wrong with Lucy." Happy stooped midway in biting on his fish. "Lucy? What's wrong Natsu? Is she in danger?" Natsu shook his head immediately, sensing the worry in his partner's voice. "I feel like Lucy's pretty sad right now. It's as if I could see her being sad."

Natsu had this feeling since the day he went off to start his training. He couldn't shake off the feeling that he was responsible for Lucy's sadness.

 _Did..Am I the one making her sad?_

"Don't worry Natsu. I'm sure Lucy's fine. She has the guild and everyone else to put a smile on her face every day!"

Natsu smiled. It sure was nice to have a partner to cheer you up. "Thanks, partner."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Yeah, I know. Sucky first chapter, huh? Don't worry and don't judge cuz' this is my first fanfic but not my first story. I'll get the vibe running through my body in no time. Thanks for viewing my story, tho. If you liked it please leave a review and let me know what you think of it.**

 **~Mee**


	2. Reunions and Wishes

**A/N: Sort of Manga Spoiler here. TEEHEE.**

 **Chapter 2**

"Here, have some coffee." Loke said, handing Lucy a warm cup of Joe. "Thanks." Lucy said. It was four in the morning when Lucy seemed a bit okay, so they just went out of the apartment to see the sunrise. "Loke?" Lucy said, staring into her cup. "Hm?" Loke sipped on his cup. "Do you _really_ have to sit this close to me?" Lucy asked, scooting an inch farther. They were not close, but they were _really_ close. Loke was pressing his side on Lucy's side and his arm was slinging around her shoulders. "What? I'm perfectly fine with this position." Loke said. "Well, I'm not so please don't." Lucy said, removing Loke's arm on her shoulders and scooting away from him. Loke pouted like a dog. "B-but.."

Lucy laughed at her friend's antics. "Whatever, Loke."

"So Lucy, are you sure you want to move to Crocus because of your job?" Loke asked. Lucy nodded. "Yes, I am. I've been dying to have a job like that for ages and I won't let the chance pass. Besides, Magnolia doesn't seem like the place I really loved before." Her answer was half the truth, though. She _did_ want a job like that but she felt as if she could never come back to Magnolia if she left. "So that means you're leaving everything behind?" Loke asked. Silence dawned over them both. Lucy didn't know how to answer that. Was she ready to leave everything behind? "Well…I...I don't know."

Lucy had her most wonderful and worst memories here in Magnolia. Was she ready to leave them all behind? Her worst memories, yes. But the good ones? No, of course. She wanted to treasure them all the time but every time she treasures them, she can't help but feel pain. Those good memories of her reminded her that her guild, _her family_ , is gone. The truth was crystal clear and she didn't like it. She wanted to forget. She wants a reset.

"You know, you don't really have to forget them." Loke said. Lucy looked at him "Huh?" Loke sighed. "Look Lucy, moving out of Magnolia doesn't necessarily mean resetting your life. You can move and take your memories with you. Don't be an idiot and leave them all behind just because the people you shared them with aren't with you right now."

Lucy was fazed. She couldn't believe herself. Did she actually think of forgetting them?

 _What is wrong with me?_

"Well, I hope you feel better now Lucy. I'm gonna go back to the Celestial World and I'll tell Virgo to help you move your stuff to Crocus. See ya." Loke said and disappeared in a shower of golden light.

Lucy stared at the sky. Does she really want to reset everything?

 _Please don't._

Lucy looked back. The voice was like.. "Natsu?" She stood up. "Natsu, is that you?"

Silence.

The wind blew past her. Lucy hugged herself and whispered a wish to the air. "Natsu, please come back."

* * *

" _Natsu, help!" the celestial mage cried. "Hang on, Luce!" Nastu said, but it was too late. The rope snapped. Lucy, who was holding the other end, fell into the abyss, crying out the name of the pink-haired boy._

"NA-TSUUU!"

"I'm awake! I'm awake!" The dragon slayer exclaimed as he jolted out of his sleeping bag. "Geez, Natsu. Start waking up early or we'll be wasting our training time because of your sleeping." The blue cat said, walking away. Nastu shook his head. He was having nightmares again and it was always the same. He can't help but worry and have that nagging voice in the back of his head telling him to go back, be more demanding. He can go, alright. But something is holding him back. It's as if he's stuck and the only way to be free is to complete his training. He shook his head once more. _Please be safe, Luce._

" _Natsuuuu! Help!_ "

Natsu looked up, his senses sharpening up again. "Happy?" He stood up and ran, following the scent of his partner. "Happy?! Where are you?!" Natsu sniffed the air. Happy's scent ws still lingering but it was fading and another scent was present. "Happy?!"

" _Natsu! Over here!_ "

Natsu ran to the source of the voice. _God, Happy please be safe._ Natsu emerged in a sort of a cave-looking place. "Happy? You here, buddy?" Natsu sniffed the air once more. It was a familiar scent and it was a really strong scent. He lit his fist on fire as he walked towards the cave. "Hap-!"

"Who are you?!" the attacker said. He had Natsu under him, his arms holding off Natsu's. Natsu sniffed him. "Wait a minute-Gildarts?!" Natsu said, holding up his fist to illuminate the attacker's face. It was indeed Gildarts. His brown hair and scar wasn't mistakable. " _Natsu?_ " Gildarts stood up. "My boy, ha! Haven't seen you in awhile, huh?" He reached out a hand to help Natsu up. "What are you doin' here, Gildarts?" Natsu asked. "Well, I'm off to a journey to anywhere." He said. "Now, let's have some decent reunion, shall we?"

…

"So, how's traveling, Gildarts?" Natsu asked, stuffing food inside his mouth. "It's great. Got some new stuff in my bag, new adventures, and a lot of women to meet!" Gildarts told him with a grin. "Your such a pervert, Gildarts." Natsu said, rolling his eyes. Gildarts laugh.

It has been more than a year when Gildarts left for his journey and needless to say, Natsu was overjoyed to his father-figure again. "So Natsu, my boy. How's Fairy Tail?" Gildarts asked, picking up a chicken leg. "Dunno, haven't seen them in seven months." Natsu said, stuffing more food inside his mouth. Gildarts choked, wheezed, and gasped. "WHAT?!"

Natsu winced and covered his ears. "What the hell, Gildarts?! Do you really have to shout in my ear?!" Gildarts picked him up by his collar. "Why'd you leave, kiddo? Huh? Did you wreck some building again and now you're on the run? Tell me, boy!" Natsu struggled to get put down. "Put. Me. Down." Gildarts sighed and put down the dragon slayer. "What happened, boy?" Natsu huffed and buried his face in his scaly scarf. "I'm too weak." He muttered.

"What was that?" Gildarts said, moving closer to the pink-haired mage to hear him speak. "I said I'm too weak. I lack power and strength. " Natsu said, looking at the ground. "Weak?" Gildarts said, confusion clouding his face. Silence dawned over them both until a loud laughter erupted from Gildarts. "Oh Mavis. That is the best joke I have ever heard throughout my life!" Gildarts said, wiping away tears of joy from his eyes. "What's so funny, old man?!" Natsu said, surprised by the man's sudden outburst. Gildarts laugh died down but his smile remained. He put a hand on the dragon slayer's shoulder. "My boy, you are not weak." He said. "You battle the stongest foes you've come across, won a lot and for Mavis' sake you did the most dangerous things that not I could have the courage to do! " Natsu glanced at the S-class mage. "Natsu, you are far more stronger than me. You have that burning passion that glows in a bright light. You may not be the brightest-"

"Hey!"

"But you are the most wonderful person the guild has ever met. You have saved our butts a lot of times and we all owe you for that. Hearing you call yourself weak is a disgrace to all of us. Strength isn't about power or magical abilities. It's about how you could protect those dear to you even if you have nothing to fight with. That is what matters, kiddo." Gildarts said, patting Natsu at his back. "You're right, Gildarts. But that aside, I still don't have enough power to protect _everyone_. I want to be able to protect each one of the guild's members." Natsu said. Gildarts sighed and shook his head. _Man, this kid is so stubborn._ "Well, I ain't stopping you on achieving that. Got anymore problems, boy?"

"I have loads. Although, there's one that's really bothering me. It's about Lucy." Natsu said, running his fingers through his hair. "Lucy? Is that the blonde girl with the big rack?" Gildarts said, racking his brain to remember the image of the girl. "Shadap, pervy old man." Nastu grunted. Gildarts chuckled. "Okay, so what's your problem with her?" Natsu sighed. "I keep having these nightmares about her..dy-getting hurt." Gildarts looked at the pink-haired mage. "Well there's a simple solution for that: Go after her. Where ever she is." Nastu let out a frustrated sigh. "I could right now but I fell like..like I can't."

Gildarts sighed. "Still worried that you might not be enough to protect her?" Natsu nodded. It was scary to admit but it's the truth. Natsu never saw the day when Lucy would be by his side, unscathed because Natsu _protected_ her. It felt to him as if he was the reason Lucy kept getting hurt.

"Get it out off your head, kid."

Natsu looked at the S-class mage. "What?" Gildarts smiled at him. "Whatever the crap you're thinking about how it's your fault. Get. It. Out. Off. Your. Head. Besides, it's not true."

Natsu smiled. _He's right. If I haven't brought Lucy with me all the time, I would have never seen the prettiest smile in world._

"Thanks Gildarts. I'm fired up now! Fight me and I'll beat you to a pulp!" Natsu exclaimed, returning to his usual jovial attitude. Gildarts laughed. "Now that's the Natsu, I know!"

After their mini-reunion, Natsu and Gildarts bid each other farewell and went their own ways. "Have some faith in yourself, Natsu." The S-class mage told Natsu before he left. Natsu nodded, taking Gildarts' word to his heart. "I will."

"Hey Natsu?" The blue cat asked. "Yes, Happy?" Natsu said, standing up and gathering his things. "Why are you packing up?" Happy asked. "Well...I don't know. I just feel like I need to see Lucy." Happy looked at his partner, confused. "Did, Gildarts tell you to go back?" Natsu nodded, rolling up his sleeping bag. "He made me realized that I was strong and I _can_ protect Lucy." It was true. Throughout the night Natsu was wide awake thinking about his blonde friend. He wanted her and the guild to be safe, that's why he left. To train. To be stronger. But within the past 7 months, he didn't feel like himself. He felt as if there was a hole inside of him. Leaving his family was one thing, but leaving Lucy… was like torture.

He was confused. He didn't know why he thinks of Lucy like glass. One slip then she'd be broken and leaving her like that, it felt as if she already cracked her.

"Natsu?" the blue cat said. "Yes, Happy?"

"I think Lucy's gonna be so happy when we come back! Even the guild with be overjoyed!"

"Yeah, I think so too, Happy."

…

"The preparations are ready, my Lord." The servant said. The Black Wizard smiled. "Good. Three more months and we will be reunited, little brother. I await your presence, Natsu Dragneel.

…

 **HELLO!~**

 **GAH! 1868 words for the chapter!~**

 **So this Chapter is dedicated to LoneStorm cuz she is such an amazing author! HI!~**

 **Okay, so hope you guys love the 2** **nd** **chapter and BEWARE cuz I will be dropping plot-twist that would literally make you curse my existence so stay tuned.**

 **Leave a review if you want guys cuz I need some constructive criticism right now to get my creative juices flowing!**

 **Stay tuned and have a good day/night!**

 **~Mee**


	3. The Fateful Meeting (COMPLETE CHAPTER)

"Finally! We're here!" The flying blue cat said, stretching his arms towards the air. Crocus was buzzing with life and colors. Well, it was buzzing with _too_ much life and colors. "Uuuughh…Happy I think I need a doctor right now…" The dragon slayer said, his face was blue and his hands were clutching his stomach. "Well, technically Natsu, you're sick because of you." Happy stated nonchalantly. "Hey! Why is it my fault?! I'm the one sick! " Natsu protested. Happy face palmed. "Natsu we had to ride the train back and forth because of your slow movement and all your disgusting heavings." The flying blue cat looked at his partner. Natsu was down on his knees his face turning into a disgusting shade of purple. _That's Natsu for ya._

Natsu slowly stood up. "C'mon Happy, let's go get some fo-!"

"Sorry, buddy. Didn't see ya there." The blonde guy who bumped into Natsu said. Natsu smiled at the guy. "No problem. Just be careful next time." The guy nodded and walked away chatting with his friend, Natsu assumed.

" _Dude, I bet you a hundred jewels my guild' gonna win and beat the shit out of_ _your guild!"_

" _No way Jose! Our guild's gonna win this year's GMG!"_

"Happy, did you hear that?" Natsu asked his partner who was currently nibbling on fish chips. "Heard what, Natsu?" the cat asked back. "That guy who just bumped into was talking about this year's Grand Magic Games." The cat's ears perked up. "Well then let's go! I wanna see our guild beat everyone!" Happy grabbed Natsu and flew off to the nearest rooftop overlooking Domus Flau. "Nice, Happy! You picked a great spot!" Natsu complimented. It was indeed a nice spot but the sounds from the arena were muffled that you can't make up the words the emcees were making.

" _Good Day, Fiore!"_

A lacrima screen suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "What the-?!" Natsu said, surprised by the sudden appearance of the screen.

" _Today is the most awaited day for this event, welcome everyone to the last day of this year's Grand Magic Games!"_

The screen showed thousands of fans filling up Domus Flau, cheering with such intensity that it's almost like the ground was shaking beneath their feet.

"' _Now let us welcome this year's top 2 guilds! On the right side of the arena, please welcome Paroxysm!"'_

It was a guild full of gothic looking women who all looks alike. Their fans cheered, yelling out their mantra: _Repress for glory!_

" _And now, on the left side of the arena, The Specter Gods!"_

The guild consists of odd people. There was one guy with a huge body that reminded Natsu of Elfman and there was two jagged scars shaped like an X that runs through his chest and girl that looked like a doll dressed up in clothes with all possible colors. Their fans cheered, yelling out there mantra: _Power of the Gods!_

" _Now for this year's final battle, teams must fight against each other. Each level has a task that needs to be accomplished through a fair match. The first team who gains 3 wins will be declared this year's the strongest guild!"_

 _Now, let's see the line-ups for each match._

The screen showed the name of each guilds' members and who will they be fighting against.

 _1_ _st_ _Match:_

 _Mecina Galio of The Specter Gods vs. Adalaine Trix of Paroxysm_

 _2_ _nd_ _Match:_

 _Ryan Munix of The Specter Gods vs. Cathe Morona of Paroxysm_

 _3_ _rd_ _Match:_

 _Max Vander of The Specter Gods vs. Lilith Corlix of Paroxysm_

 _4_ _th_ _Match:_

 _Reena Metical of The Specter Gods vs. Mabel Pyrox of Paroxysm_

 _5_ _th_ _Match:_

 _Leno Vosam of The Specter Gods vs. Brie Pyrox of Paroxysm_

" _With all that settled; let the fight begin!"'_

The first match was quick one. The task was to hit the lacrima tattoo placed on the opponent's body. The fighters were required to wear body suits to hide the tattoos well and magic ws not allowed to use. The match was said to test a mage's magical sense. The girls from both guilds were quick. Mostly they used their elbows to attack. Adalaine Trix of Paroxysm won having to hit the tattoo on The Specter Gods' Mecina Galio's left thigh.

The second match's task was to knock out your opponent without hitting their crucial spots and without using magic, so the players had to tell each other their crucial spots. Ryan Munix of The Specter Gods aimed below Cathe Morona's crucial spots while Cathe striked for the legs and back. Ryan had a perfct shhot but his movements were too slow compared to Cathe's graceful palm strikes. In the end, Ryan won.

"That Cathe girl reminds me of Bacchus. Don't they have the same fighting style, Natsu?" Happy asked his partner, but he received no reply. The dragon slayer was engrossed in watching the matches. "Well, at least he isn't burning things." Happy muttered, returning to watching the screen.

The third match was probably the longest, observed Natsu. The task was to knock each other using magic. The reason why the match was probably the longest, the two opponent had the same type of magic. No one knew who was stronger or who as not. The match resulted in a draw.

For the fourth match, the task was to eliminate all the crystal balls on the fighters' armor. Reena Metical of The Specter Gods seemed as if she was accustomed to wearing such armor that her moves were smooth and graceful. But Mabel Pyrox of Paroxysm had the least of luck. Her slow and gawky movements caused her defeat.

"Woah, that Reena girl's really cool with her armor! Kinda reminds me of-"Natsu gasped all of the sudden, making Happy stop talking. "Look! That Reno guy from Specter Gods just swooped down and with one hit he brought down Brarie or something from Proxy-something!" Natsu said his eyes glued with excitement on the screen. "Natsu, it's Leno not Reno. Brie not Brarie and its Paroxysm not Proxy!" Happy stated. "Yeah yeah." Natsu waved him off. "What's their task anyway?" Happy asked. "They have to fight with magic and the one with the most hits under 5 minutes win!" the dragon slayer told his friend.

Leno of The Specter Gods threw another punch to Brie of Paroxysm. Brie struggled to stand, luckily Leno gave the girl a chance. Brie attacked fast, landing a punch on Leno's stomach and cheek and a kick on his side and shins. Leno was thrown back a few feet. A low growl escaped the mages lips. He took one step back and aimed for his opponent. With his incantation he fired.

" _White Charge!"_

Sphere-shaped white magic fired onto Brie. The attack was like fists punching non-stop. Brie tried to defend herself by making a wall of glass around her protection only stayed for awhile. When the glass broke, light shined as if a star exploded. Under the feet of Leno were small, glowing, yellow dots.

" _Bellatrix!"_ Brie shouted and a see-through glowing woman appeared with her sword and armor. The glowing woman attacked and slashed his sword onto Leno's body, attacking non-stop. The sword slashes didn't really make a cut, but it hurt as hell. It was like Stones being thrown to your body, observed Leno.

A bell rung, signaling the end of the last match. After the scores from the matches were tallied, it was finally time to declare the winner.

Natsu and Happy hold their breaths, their anticipation growing more and more with each second.

" _Okay, folks. Here are the results: Paroxysm won the first match while The Specter Gods won the second match. The third match ended up as a draw, so the win is given to neither teams. For the fourth match, the Specter Gods win. For the last match, the winner is…Paroxysm! Ladies and gentlemen, it seems that both teams are tied!"_

"A tie?! That never happened before." Happy stated. "You can say that again. I wonder what'll be there tie breaker?" Natsu asked. After all the murmurs quiet down the emcee proceeded to tell the tie breaker.

" _Because of the occurrence of the tie, this year's tie breaker will be…another fight? With another mage? "_

The murmurs again perked up. Both guilds look at each other confusedly, their eyes depicting a total WTF look. "I wonder what'll be the fight about…" Natsu thought out loud.

" _For the instructions for this year's tie-breaker,"_ the emcee said, making every quiet down. _"Each team must select a fighter to go against a mystery mage. The mystery mage hold a golden ball which contains the prize money of this year's Grand Magic Games. The first fighter to lose against the mystery mage and the last mage standing wins! Now, guilds please select your fighters."_

Paroxysm chose Adalaine Trix and The Specter Gods chose Leno Vosam. Both mages shook hands first and went into their fighting positions. The so-called mystery mage entered the arena. She had a very familiar-looking coat, observed Natsu and on her hands was golden ball that seemed to glowing.

" _Let the battle begin!"_

Adalaine attacked first, kicking high to hit the mage's head. The mage ducked and landed a strike on Adalaines's stomach. Leno chanted his spell and aimed directly at the mage.

" _White Vortex"_

A swirling white vortex appeared and it seemed to be pulling the mage in it. But the mage stayed on ground, moving slowly sideways away from the vortex. The mage then held out a blue-and-yellow whip, which looked like stars on a bright blue river. The mage aimed for Leno and tugged on his foot, causing him to fall down and lose his concentration with his magic. Adalaine seized her chance she ran and aimed a punch on the mage's back. She striked throwing the mage a couple feet away, but the mage's whip still held Leno, who was struggling to get free.

The mage stood up and removed the coat the mage was wearing. The mage, who was a girl, had brown hair and a white mask was covering her face. She was wearing an animal-print bikini top with pants that had one of its pant legs off. She also had knee-high boots with her whip. She ran to the right side of the arena, while Leno and Adalaine goes to the left side facing the mage. The mage brought up the whip and striked it down on the ground.

" _Earth Wave!"_

The ground shook and cracked opened. Leno quickly sidestepped but he still fell down in between the ground breaks, together with Adalaine.

" _Unbelievable! Both fighters fell down to the cracks! Does this result to another ti-Wait! There's some stirring at the edge of the ground breaks…"_

The whole audience held its breath as two hands were now visible but the owner's face was hidden in the darkness. The mage went over and helped up the fighter. Up came…

" _There you have it, folks! Adalaine Trix has managed to hold on! That means Paroxysm is this year's Grand Magic Games' champions and Fiore's no.1!"_

The crowd cheered while the two teams shook hands displaying their sportsmanship. "Wow, that guild is awesome!" Natsu exclaimed. "Yeah, they are!" Happy said, joining in the cheers of the audience. "But wait…" the flying blue cat said, realizing something important. "What is it, buddy?" Natsu asked. "Natsu didn't you realize that Fairy Tail didn't join?"

Silence.

"WHAT?!" the dragon slayer exclaimed. "But how!? Fairy Tail should always be here at the Grand Magic Games! We were champions last year!" he rambled. Happy nodded gloomily. "Not anymore."

Natsu suddenly grinned. Happy looked at his partner, sensing his "Natsu-has-a-bad-idea alarm" in his head going ballistic. "Natsu? Why are you smiling like that?" The dragon slayer grinned wider. "I have a plan." In an instant, Happy answered. "No."

Natsu's smile faltered. "But Happy-"

"No, Natsu. You'll get us in trouble agai-"

"I'll buy you fish."

"I'm in! So what's the plan?"

Natsu laughed and told his partner his brilliant plan.

…

Lucy removed her mask and wig, and then retired her Star Dress form. She was still sore from the kick one of the contestants gave. "Ugh, I'm never gonna do that ever again." She said out loud, as a smiling Jason come and walked towards her. "Lucy, that was cool! Cool!" the reporter said, bursting out his excitement. "Yeah, yeah. Now please don't let me do that ever again." She pleaded. "Please Lucy! Just one more time! You're cool anyways!" Jason said. "No, Jason. I won't do it again. Now if you excuse me, I still have some interviewing to do." Lucy said, walking away with a notepad in hand.

She walked towards the arena and to the winning team. "Hello, I'm Lucy Heartfilia! You don't mind if I interview you guys for Sorcerer Weekly, right?" Lucy asked. The members of Paroxysm nodded their heads. "Great! So first things first, how do you feel about winning this year's Grand Magic Games?" Lucy asked. Adalaine's answer was interrupted by a loud crash resonating from the left wall of the arena. A man in a tattered cloak emerged when the dust cleared up.

Lucy instantly reached for her keys and whip. "What the heck, man! You got dust in my hair!" Ryan of The Specter Gods complained loudly. The man faced Ryan and lighted his fist on fire. With one swoop of his fist, it seemed as if the fire turned into a whip and knocked out all the members of The Specter Gods. "Who's next?" The man asked, his sort-of creepy excitement resonating from his voice.

Lucy pulled out her whip and faced the man. "Right in front of you, jerk." Flames licked the man's fist once more as he prepared for another attack. But Lucy charged in first, her whip coiling around the man's leg making him fall down.

" _Open, Gate of the Lion! Loke!_ "

The lion spirit appeared in a shower of golden light. "I'll take care of this, Lucy." Loke said, charging towards the man.

" _Star Dress: Leo!_ "

Another shower of golden light appeared, this time applying its effects on the celestial spirit mage's body. Her outfit changed into a dress matching Loke's suit. She too, charged towards the man.

" _Regulus Impact!"_ Loke said, throwing the man a couple of feet away with his punch. Lucy coiled her whip around the man's waist and pulled him towards her. "Who are you and what do you want?" The celestial spirit mage asked in a deadly tone.

"I didn't know I'd be seeing you here, _Lucy._ " The man said.

 _That voice…Could it be…?_

" _Natsu?_ " Lucy whispered. The man laughed. "Long time no see, huh?" Lucy uncoiled her whip and took a step back. "Hey, Lucy. Are you okay?" The lion spirit asked, worrying about his master. "No..It can't be." Lucy muttered, completely fazed by the surprise.

The man pulled off his cloak. The lion spirit gasped. "Wait a minute, _Natsu?!_ " he exclaimed. The spirit mage looked at the salmon-haired guy with a blue cat perched up on his shoulder in front of him. _It's really him._

…

Natsu gave the blond mage a quizzical look. Her reaction was definitely not what he expected. "What, no hug or anything?" he said out loud. The blonde mage shook her head, cutting herself out of her stupor. She faced the dragon slayer and approached him. "Natsu?" The dragon slayer smiled at the blond mage.

" _Natsu, you idiot!"_

Lucy charged towards him and began hitting him with her fist. "You idiot, you destroyed the arena! _Again._ Now you have to pay-"

" _Hey, you hit my eye!"_

"and again you can't just barged in like that! Use the freaking entrance, you moron! You even knocked out one of the te-"

" _Lucy I- Hey! That hurts!"_

"Lastly, don't just leave me like that! You moron, don't you know how much that hurts?! Don't leave me alone, Natsu! I don't like you leaving me alone! 'Cuz when you're somewhere gods know where I don't know if your safe or-"

Natsu grabbed hold of Lucy wrists. "Where's your trust in me, partner?" he asked. Lucy looked at the salmon-haired guy with tears brimming in her eyes. "We're partners, right?" he asked. Lucy nodded. "If we truly are partners, you should trust me, Lucy." Natsu said, wiping away the tear that fell from the blonde mage's eye. Lucy nodded again and tackled the dragon slayer into a hug. "I missed you." Lucy said. The dragon slayer smiled and hugged the blonde back. "I miss ya to, Lucy."

…

"Rusheh, shang kyu shu mush or sha hood." Natsu praised, food filling every corner of his mouth. "Natsu, manners please!" Lucy scolded. The dragon slayer swallowed and gave a bright smile that Lucy missed so much. "So how'd you end up in Crocus, Lucy" Happy asked munching on a fish again. "Well I've been here for 3 months and it feels so wonderful to be here!" Lucy said, her eyes glistening with pure joy.

"What happened to Fairy Tail, Lucy? Did you leave them for your interviewing job?" Natsu asked. Lucy's face fell. "Are you okay?" Happy asked. "You see, Fairy Tail's, uh, not a…" Lucy said, drowning the other words in incomprehensible murmurs. "What?" Natsu said, leaning closer to his blonde friend. Lucy took a deep breath and closed her eyes. _You have to tell them this, Lucy. They deserve to know._

"Fairy Tail got disbanded. Master Makarov did it."

Silence dawned on the trio. The blonde mage still had her eyes firmly shut. She was scared to see their reactions. She was scared to see them break down. The guild, it was their _family_ , after all. After a few moments of deafening silence, Lucy opened her eyes. Natsu was still there and so was Happy. Both their faces were full of sadness and despair. "Natsu, I thin-"

"That can't be right." The dragon-slayer said, forcing a smile on his face. "The guild can't be gone. This must be a prank. It's a prank, right?" Lucy tried to smile, but her sadness won. "Natsu, you-"

"NO!"

Natsu's voice boomed catching everyone's attention in the café. "The guild can't be gone! The guild, _my family_ , can't be gone!" He cried. "Natsu, please calm down." Lucy said, feeling weak when her salmon-haired friend was breaking down. "No, no, no, no, no. That can't happen!" Natsu said as if it was a mantra. "Natsu, please, calm down!" Lucy said, her voice was already shaking. Natsu looked at her grabbed her shoulders. "How could you accept this, Lucy? _Our family_ is gone!" He cried. "Please, Natsu. Just listen." Lucy pleaded, tears balancing on her eyelashes. Natsu let go of her and walked out of the café. "Natsu!" The celestial spirit mage cried.

"Lucy?" Lucy looked back at the blue cat. "Why, Fairy Tail?" Lucy hugged Happy. "Why would Master do that?" Happy said, crying on Lucy's chest. 'Shh, Master had his reasons. I don't know what his reasons were, but knowing Master, it's probably his way of protecting us." Lucy said. She hoped it was for protection. The guild, it was something so precious beyond words. It seems so impossible for it to be gone. "What'll happen to Natsu, Lucy?" The cat cried. "What if he feels as if he got left alone again?"

 _Natsu._

"Happy, I'll be right back." Lucy said, placing the cat on the chair. She went out of the café and searched around for any hint of salmon hair. After hours of looking, the blonde celestial mage finally saw Natsu sitting beside a tree, his back leaning on the trunk. "Natsu, you okay?" Lucy asked, her voice sounding hesitant. "It's all my fault." The dragon slayer said his voice void of emotion. Lucy was shocked. It was her first time to hear those words come out of Natsu's mouth. "Natsu, it's not yo-"

" _It is._ " He hissed. "If I didn't go out and do some training then maybe we'd e at the guild hall right now and just smiling. Like what we do every day." The blonde mage sat down beside him. "Natsu, please don't blame yourself. Master made that choice and he made it clear that we shouldn't blame ourselves for that. We need to lay low and rest for awhile, Natsu. Things went real tough and crazy when we were fighting Tartaros. Everyone lost something that time."

"But, I-"

" _Natsu, please stop._ " Lucy's voice cracked. "It's hard for everyone too. Not just you."

Natsu's eyes widened. _He was being selfish._ It was a peculiar thing for him to do. He'd always put his family first, no matter what. "I-I just can't accept the fact that the g-guild is g-gone." He said.

"We all can't. For now, let's just live on. Maybe someday, _someday_ , the guild will be back soon." Lucy said. Natsu looked at his best friend. Her eyes was glassy yet a smile was on her face. "Thanks, Lucy." He said, leaning on Lucy's shoulder. "Anytime, Natsu."

"NATSU! LUCY!'

Both mages looked up and saw Happy flying towards them. The cat landed in front of them. "There's some-Wait, what are you to doing?" The cat asked, realizing the very couple-like position Natsu and Lucy's in. He blinked and realized the whole picture.

"Oh, you guys liiiiiiiike each other!" He exclaimed, his hands forming a heart.

Both mages went red. "Can it, stupid cat!" Lucy said, aiming a fist at Happy's head. "W-Wait! I forgot I have to tell you something!" Happy exclaimed. "What is it buddy?" Natsu asked. "There's some gang in the café, threatening the owner! You got to help him!" Happy said, already running towards the café. Natsu and Lucy followed the blue cat and saw a couple of mages looking like a dark guild. "What do you mean you can't give us your money?! I'm asking nicely, old geezer!" A raven haired guy with black tattoos in his face said, holding the café owner by his owner. "I-I'm sorry! I-I'll give you, just please spare me!" The café owner said.

"Put him down, you jerk!" Lucy said, taking out her whip. The raven-haired guy looked at Lucy. For a moment, his eyes bulged. He put down the café owner and smirked at Lucy. "You think, you can take me own, little girl? I'd like to see you try." His arms were aimed at Lucy, charging a some kind of ice spell.

The attack fired and Lucy felt like she was frozen. _No! Move, Lucy! Move!_ Alas, her body stayed still. The attack was getting closer and closer. She closed her eyes. "Help!"

After a moment, Lucy felt nothing. She opened her eyes and in front of her was the fire dragon slayer. "Hurt her and I'll make sure it's the last thing you'll ever do." Natsu hissed. "Getting cocky, aren't we?" The raven-haired guy snickered. "Let's just see if you could maintain that attitude." The guy fired another ice attack. Natsu easily melted it. "Ice an't stand against me, jerk." Natsu said. " _Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!_ " Natsu's attack landed on the guy's chest, throwing a couple of feet away. " _Fire Dragon's Roar!"_ Natsu bellowed, releasing a river of fire from his mouth. The guy stood up quickly and raised both his arms in defence. "Freeze!" The flames stopped and turned in to light purple colored ice.

"Fire doesn't work on me." The guy snickered. Natsu tched and attacked. "I'll melt those useless ice of yours till there gone forever, you jerk!" Both were locked in a hot-and-cold battle. There attacks looking like fireworks on land.

" _Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"_

Natsu's attacked was enough to render the guy powerless. Natsu walked towards him and picked him up by his collar. Natsu's eyes bulged. "Wait a minute." Natsu said, recognizing the scent of the raven-haired guy. "Let me go you, bastard!" The raven-haired guy said.

"Everything okay, Natsu?" Lucy asked, worry surrounding her voice. "This guy.." Natsu muttered. "What's wrong, Natsu? " Happy asked. "I know you." Natsu said to the raven-haired guy. The guy stop wriggling and stared at the fire dragon slayer. "What shit are you saying, slanty eyes?!" Natsu smirked.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Ice Princess?!"

…

 **Sorry for the super duper late update! Things got a bit hectic in school, and that kept me from updating so, I'm really sorry for that! I hope this 4k chapter gave brought my late update to justice tho.**

 **THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE READERS! I READ THE GRAPH OF MY STORY AND I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE READERS FROM THE U.S. TO TURKEY! I'M SO HAPPY! THANK YOU SO SO MUCH GUYS!**

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